The European Commission has escalated its regulatory examination of X, launching a formal investigation to determine if the platform violated the Digital Services Act (DSA). This new probe centers on the deployment of “Grok,” the platform’s artificial intelligence tool, and its integration into the systems that recommend content to users. Regulators are particularly concerned about the AI’s role in creating and spreading illegal content, including “sexual deepfakes” and material that could harm minors.
Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, emphasized the severity of these risks, stating that sexual deepfakes represent a “violent and unacceptable form of degradation.” She further noted that the investigation aims to determine if the platform treated the rights of European citizens as “collateral damage” during its rapid rollout of AI features.
A major focus of the inquiry is whether X fulfilled its legal obligation to conduct an “ad hoc” risk assessment before launching Grok’s functionalities. Under the DSA, Very Large Online Platforms are required to diligently identify and mitigate systemic risks. The Commission suspects that X may have failed to properly address potential negative effects on gender-based violence and the physical and mental well-being of its users.
The investigation also extends to X’s recently updated recommender system. European officials are investigating whether the shift to an algorithm powered by Grok has fundamentally altered the platform’s risk profile without adequate safeguards. This probe builds on a prior investigation from December 2023, which recently resulted in a €120 million fine for the company due to deceptive design and a lack of transparency for researchers.
The Commission, working in close coordination with the Irish Digital Services Coordinator, now has the power to conduct in-depth inspections and interview company personnel. If X is found to have breached its obligations, it faces potential fines of up to 6% of its total global annual turnover. For now, the Commission is continuing to gather evidence and may impose interim measures to ensure the safety of European users while the investigation remains active.